Chapter 2

Abigail's p.o.v;

Someone slammed on my desk, which startled me a little. When I looked up, it was the girl who had been sitting next to me in class.

"Did you just get startled by that?" She smiled as she asked.

I sighed and asked, "What is it?"

"Take a look around you, girl. The class ended more than ten minutes ago. What keeps you here?" Said when picking up some items from her desk.

I took a look around. The class was devoid of students. Did I fall asleep during the class? I got up from my seat, grabbed my bag, and proceeded to the door.

"Hey! Hold on!"

I paused before walking out the door and stared at her.

She placed her hand on my shoulder and inquired, "Where's your next class? We can go there together if…"

I removed her hand off my shoulder before she finished speaking and replied, "I understand what you're trying to do here... but please accept my apologies. Like I said before, I'm an OCD and I'm a shy person and complete introvert. I prefer to be alone, so I think you'll comprehend what I'm trying to convey here, if you excuse me."

I exited the classroom and headed down the corridor. Why are these wolves attempting to be so sweet? When they tried to talk to me gently, I got irritated. The thought of her hands over my shoulder makes me sick already!!

Why am I taking so long to go down the hall? What time is my next class? Where is my next class, please? Why is this university so big, I couldn't even find my classes here. I hate everything here.

I found myself in the cafeteria without my knowledge after a while. When I looked around, it appeared to be empty and felt a little hungry, so I walked in and took a seat. I took my phone and called my father. I placed my phone back into my pocket after realising his line was busy and took a look around the cafeteria. This area, on the other hand, appears to be enticing. So spacious and open. While drinking the Coke, I looked through my class calendar to find my class.

"Are you skipping on your first day?"

Someone took the seat across from me. Her hair was grey with silver highlights, her eyes were fierce, and her lips were well sculpted. Her attire gave me a rogue sense, but she gave me a kind grin. I didn't respond and kept drinking while checking my phone.

"I saw you in Mr Gonzalo's morning class. You just moved in, right? What state are you from?"

Was she also in the same class? But I didn't remember seeing her in the class.

"Louisiana."

"A fantastic location for a vacation. Which place would you recommend for a vacation in Louisiana?"

I started up to walk away from her, but she abruptly grabbed my hand, taking me by surprise.

"Can't you see that I'm trying to be friendly here, so why are you behaving like this?" she said as she approached me.

Her whisper instilled panic in me, causing me to freeze.

She stated, "I apologise. Did I frighten you?" She forced me to sit and stood opposite me as previously, saying, "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Nova Bancroft. I'm not sure how many classes we share yet. Have you received the class schedule?"

Before I answered, she took the class schedule and checked it with her class schedule like comparing it. What was I thinking when she took my class schedule? This girl in front of me is sending me vibes that I should be mindful of. She returned my schedule after double-checking it and remarked, "I have only two classes with you. So sad. Okay. Let's trade numbers. Give me your phone number... What exactly are you waiting for? Come on."

Someone was holding my shoulder, and when I turned around, it was Luna.

Luna, "I told you to wait for me. What exactly are you doing here? We have class. Come with me, Let's go together."

"Where are you taking her to? Can't you see that I'm talking to her?" Nova inquired of Luna as we prepared to leave.

"Where's your slave?" Luna replied back to Nova. "Did he flee?"

They began fighting as if it was nothing new to them. What is going on here?

"Let's get to class." Luna took my hand in hers and began walking quickly.

She slipped her hands off mine as we exited the cafeteria and apologised, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take your hand in mine. It was…"

"It's all right. But…"

"I know you were bewildered by what occurred in the cafeteria. Her name is Nova Bancroft, and she always takes advantage of new students like you and makes them do errands for her."

"She looked through my academic schedule and asked for my phone number."

"Did you give your phone number?"

"No," I said, shaking my head.

"That's great. If she asks you to do something for her, tell her straight to her face that you can't because she despises people who talk back to her. Understand?"

I gave her a nod.

"OK, I'll leave for my lesson; I apologise for taking up your time; and I'll see you in an hour."

Luna walked away. Why did she help me? Even if she helped me, she's a werewolf. Keep it in mind. Even if she assisted you, you are not her friend. It's because she wanted to battle her adversary and used you to do it. That's how every werewolf is. So self-centered.

After a while, I went to the main building after receiving my locker key and searched for my locker. My number is 476. Someone rang me while I was looking for my locker. I'm sure it's from Dad. I took my phone from my pocket and examined the screen.

Juna, my aunt, was calling me, much to my astonishment. My dad's elder sister. My father and I stayed with his sister, Juna and Cleo, her daughter, in Louisiana. When I was eight years old, her spouse died in an accident. Cleo and I were raised as sisters, but grew up as friends.

"How did you find your first day of school?" She inquired.

"Juna, I'm still in school. How about Cleo? Did she leave for college?"

"Yes, she did leave two days ago. I expected you two to study in the same area you did as children, but she moved to Tennessee and you moved to Texas with your father, leaving me alone in this house."

"Juna, you are always welcome in Texas."

"I miss you too, baby but I have my job here. I can't transfer suddenly like your dad. Okay. Take care, Abby. Love you."

"Love you too, Juna."

I kept my phone back in my bag and looked at the lock in front of me.

"Is that your girlfriend?"

It's the guy who nagged me on the bus and tagged along to the college. Michael Whitlock. I ignored him and continued searching for my locker.

"Are you a lesbian?" He whispered into my ears.

"It's my aunt!"

"You didn't answer my question yet."

"Why are you always asking me something? What do you want from me?"

"Nothing."

I continued searching for my locker.

"What are you looking for? Can I help you?... It's like you're searching for your locker. What's your number? I'll help you."

I ignored him and searched. Finally found it. Using the key, I opened the locker and kept some of my books inside it and locked again.

"You found it yourself?"

I moved away from him without responding. He began strolling alongside me and inquired, "Because you're new here. I'll tell you a little bit about this school."

I grumbled and continued walking, not paying attention to what he was saying.

I eventually located my class and entered the classroom and took a look around. I arrived just in time. The noise that was following me stopped as I walked into class. What happened? When I turned to look at him, he stood outside class signalling that he needed to go somewhere urgently and raced away. Weird.

I entered the classroom, sat in my chair, and waited for the class to begin. I was hungry after class ended. What if I run across that strange girl Nova? It is preferable to locate another cafeteria on campus.

Is there only one cafeteria at this school? Everything about this school irritates me! A strange man is following me around and talking to me. A renegade girl who terrified me. Moreover, I couldn't locate the classes.

I walked around the campus looking for another cafeteria, but there were none, so I gave up and returned to the main building for my next lesson.

"What are you doing here?" Mr Gonzalo approached me after noticing me roaming around the main building.

"I was looking for class, Sir."

He raised his hand, looked at his watch, and remarked, "There is still time for the following class, and it is now time for a break. Did you finish your meal?"

"Um… Sir, I couldn't find the cafeteria."

"Haven't you eaten yet? Come along with me."

I went with him to the cafeteria. What made me lie about the cafeteria? You should have said that you were being pursued by a girl, right?

We arrived in the cafeteria. I glanced around for the wild girl but couldn't find her.

"Are you on the lookout for someone?"

I shook my head and sat down beside him.

"Give me your academic schedule."

I handed over the sheet of paper with my class's information printed on it. He wrote something on it and returned to me while saying, "You have to get confused anymore because I wrote down where you'll be having your class. Teachers may make an exception for being late on your first day, but follow this and get used to it quickly. Understand?"

"Thank you very much, Sir."

"After we finish eating, let's head to the library to obtain you a library card so you may access it for your assignments. What is your next class, by the way?"

"I have a class with Mr Brett."

"Don't worry, I'll tell him you're with me. We'll receive the card today." He kept eating his food.

Why is he so generous to me? Is it because I'm a new student? I can occasionally tell whether a person is a werewolf or a human by looking at them, but not by looking at him. I wish he were human. Will he respond if I ask him? May I inquire?

"Is there anything you'd like to ask me?"

"No, sir!… Sir, yes."

"Go on."

"Are you a werewolf or a human, Sir?" I said, bending forward.

He burst out laughing, which made other people in the café look at us.

"What is it that you wish to know?"

"Just out of curiosity, Sir."

"Human."

"Human? Aren't you afraid to work among werewolves as students and teachers here?"

"You sound like you just awoke from a lengthy nap." And then he laughed again.

"It's just... I have a poor past with werewolves, so... I'm uneasy in their presence."

He stroked me on the back and said, solemnly, "Not everyone is alike."

What exactly does he mean? What is he attempting to convey to me? How can I still regard them favourably after all these years?

After we finished with our meals, we walked to the library, where he left me in the front office waiting room and went inside to meet with them.

'Mr Gonzalo doesn't appear that elderly,' I thought to myself as he spoke with them. 'He appears to be in his late thirties. He's a teacher!' I said as I pinched my thigh. 'He works as a teacher!'

He exited the room and handed me a card saying, "You can use this to gain admission to the library starting tomorrow. You can also use this card to purchase food from the cafeteria."

I thanked him with a tiny smile after receiving the card from him.

"You may now leave to Mr Brett's class."

"Sir, yes."

A gang of guys approached me as I was walking to class. The aroma of them convinced me that they were all werewolves.

"What do we have here?" One of them talked like I could hear him.

"Looks like we have new meat here," Another said after smelling my hair.

I pulled my hair from them and attempted to flee, but they all surrounded me, leaving no room for escape.

"Where are you attempting to flee?"

"Hey Mike! What do you think we should do with her?

Mike? Why does this name ring a bell? When I glanced at the guys who were standing in front of me, I saw Michael Whitlock among them.

"She doesn't appear to be amusing. Let's go." Michael told those guys.

What does he mean by that? If I wasn't that amusing for him then why did he bother me before?

One of them took my bag. I attempted to take it from him, but he tossed it to the other person. They threw my bag around and made fun of me. It's not new to me, though, because I've been bullied in the past. My former school dumped my books into the toilet and soaked them in unclean water, so throwing a bag around wasn't a huge deal for me.

"What are you doing here?" It's the cafeteria's renegade gal. Nova Bancroft.

She took the bag from them and chastised them, adding, "Don't you have any classes at this time? Leave right now."

They all left in silence without talking back to her.

She gave my bag back to me. I felt awkward to thank her.

"What did Luna say to you about me? I'm aware it's not ideal, but what did she say?"

"That you turn the new students into slaves."

She chuckled and continued, "It is your option to believe what you want. And... I'm not like who she said I was."

Nova then walked away from the scene.

I took a walk to class. When I walked in, there was a lovely man at the front desk teaching something. Why do all of the teachers appear to be so young and handsome?

"Are you Ms Hopper from Louisiana?"

"Yes, Sir," I answered with a nod.

"Please take a seat." He said while pointing to an open seat in front of him.

I took my seat and had a look around. The class appeared to be full. It appears that no one misses his classes. He carried on with his lessons. Wow! His way of teaching is excellent. Now, I know why this class is packed with students. Especially girls.

When class ended, I started to leave with the others, but Mr Brett stopped me and whispered, "Wait."

I went back to my seat and waited as he had instructed. He called me to the front after everyone had gone. I walked over to the desk and took a seat in front of him. He handed me some paperwork and stated, "Because you arrived after one week of school reopening, you must refer to these notes. Please use this as a reference and let me know if you have any queries. You are free to leave at this moment."

"Thank you, Sir."

The only thing good here is the teachers even though I don't like any of the students here. They are both helpful and attractive. Smiles*

I walked to the bus terminal after exiting the college entrance.

"Hey!"

When I turned to look who it was, I saw Michael walking towards me while calling out for me.

I ignored him and continued walking, he strolled beside me while asking, "You look shorter than me but you walk fast. Since our houses are in the same direction, Let's be buddies because we'll be meeting every day."

I ignored him again.

"What the heck is the matter with you? Why are you not talking to me? Is it due to what happened in college? I'm a werewolf Alpha. That's how I should act in their presence."

"That's why I'm not communicating with you."

"Because of those people?"

"No! Because you are a werewolf!"

"W-What? I don't get it... What exactly are you saying?"

"I despise werewolves!!!" And fled from him.

I came to a halt at the bus terminal after sprinting. I took the first bus that came to the terminal and went to my house. After entering the house, I ran to my room, and collapsed on the bed.

"Is everything all right?" Dad asked while standing beside the bed.

I approached him, hugged him, and sobbed in his arms.

"What happened? Why are you so upset? Is there something wrong at school? Did you get bullied again?"

"No, dad."

"So, Abby, what happened?"

"I remembered something about Mom."

He soothed me by cuddling me "Abby, you must let it go. It's been years."

I told him, "How could you possibly say that? Your wife was assassinated. What makes you think I'll forget? Every night, it haunts me. It always bothers me. Moreover, I was the one who witnessed her death! Certainly not you!"

He moved in closer and attempted to hug me, but I pushed him away. Finally, I let him hug me, and I sobbed in his arms.

I didn't hate werewolf all my life, but a murder changed my perspective on them. Seven years ago, my family went camping when I was ten years old. My family consists of my father, mother, aunt, uncle, and Cleo. When my mother and aunt went to get wood, Cleo and I accompanied them while my father and uncle made a fire out of bits of bark. We were playing together until we heard strange noises coming from the woods. We two crept out into the forest to see where the noise was coming from. We witnessed a werewolf devouring a sheep as if it had been starving for months. We both took a step back being scared. The werewolf turned to face us when our mother called our names to find us. We two began fleeing that location out of panic when we fell into the sight of the werewolf.

When we visited our mothers, we started stuttering and saying bits and pieces of what we had seen earlier, which made them confused and said we were blabbering. Cleo's mother departed thinking that we were playing a joke on her. Cleo urged that my mother believe what we said. Mom said she'd go and look for us. We two stopped her by telling her that there is a scary Werewolf in the woods. She stated that we are far off from that generation. The world we're living in is not like those days. Wolves stopped hunting prey and evolved over the years. She left after saying that.

I walked after mom because it had been a while since she had left. Fear caused Cleo to flee. I dashed to the location after hearing my mother's screams. My mother was bloodied on the ground, a werewolf crouching by her, shredding her skin here and there. I stood there in terror and in utter shock, felt like i was paralyzed for a moment, doing nothing except watching my mother get ripped off by a werewolf. I fainted after seeing my mother in that state.

When I awoke, I was surrounded by a group of people whose faces I had never seen before, and I recognised my father among them. My father stated that my mother died in the woods by some wild animal. Everyone asked about what happened in the woods. When I told the truth, no one believed me and tried to convince me that a wild animal killed my mom and it's not a werewolf. Cleo, my cousin, abandoned me when I asked her for evidence. The mother was killed by a wild beast in the woods. That was the phoney truth that everyone wanted me to believe.

I've never trusted werewolves since and have developed a dislike for them. And, it won't change for the rest of my life.